Minnesota’s own F. Scott Fitzgerald would be proud.
Tracy Area High School is reaching back to the mid-1920s for its May 3 prom, with the theme “Golden Gala,” inspired by Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, The Great Gatsby.
“This goes back to the ‘Roaring Twenties,’ and we’ll have black and gold for our colors,” said prom organizer Amy Larsen. “The kids can go with whatever color of dresses that they want to, but we will just have black, gold and white in our theme, with our decorations.”
Larsen said the students came up with the theme.
“They just kind of looked online, through Pinterest and things like that,” said Larsen. “They wanted The Great Gatsby,
but some people didn’t want to call it that, so with went with ‘Golden Gala.’” Decorating will commence Wednesday and will wrap up during the school day on Friday (May 2).
Prom-goers will meet at The Caboose for a 6 p.m. supper; the Grand March begins at 7:30 p.m. (there is a $2 charge for the public to attend).
“Doors open at 6:45; usually it’s packed in there,” Larsen said.
There will once again be two walk-thrus — a formal one and a fun one. The dance in the wrestling room will follow and will go until 11 p.m. Last year’s dance went until midnight.
“We’re cutting it back an hour because the kids, they’re just tired and spent,” said Larsen.
The after-prom will follow and run until 3 a.m. After-prom food will be brought in from The Hideaway and Lingen Dairy. Activities will include various inflatables, an escape room, caricature artist, hypnotist, poker tables, bean bags and Spike Ball, a coffee bar, foosball, air hockey and darts.
Students have to stay until 3, unless a parent physically comes and signs them out, Larsen said.
There are 40 couples signed up for this year’s prom. “There are a couple seniors who said, ‘I’m just going to walk through by myself,’” Larsen said. “Or some people will go alone and walk together. The junior class is really small — some years we’ve had up to 120, this year we have about 80 kids.”
